1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to inductive electrical devices in which there is a varying current density, and more particularly to a longitudinally contoured conductor for such devices which minimizes the quantity of required conductor material.
2. Background Art
Inductive electrical devices are well known and widely used in electrical systems as energy transfer or storage elements and include, for example, variable transformers and certain types of choke coils and reactors in which a coiled conductor induces a voltage in itself or another coil, frequently in association with a paramagnetic flux-carrying material.
The conductors of such devices are typically formed of round, rectangular, or square conductors with the conductor in any such device having a uniform cross section substantially throughout its length. The current handling requirements in a conductors in such devices may change with respect to the position in the conductor; however, by using constant cross-section conductors, the coils are designed to withstand the maximum currents throughout the coil when, in actuality, only certain portions of the coil carry the maximum currents. This conventional configuration wastes conductor material and results in a device that is heavier and larger than need be for the current carried.